Flowers: Petals
are typically purple or pale violet. Sepals
are ovate, lance-ovate to
oblong, ciliate at
least in the basal half. Lateral petals are bearded with hairs longer
than 1.0 mm, and tips pointed to narrowly rounded, but not knobbed.
The spurred petal is bearded (Haines
2001), or less commonly with just a few
hairs (Haines 2011).
The spur is short (< 3.0
mm).
Peduncles
are pubescent to
glabrous, usually
not overtopping the leaves.

Leaves: Leaves are broadly ovate, about as wide as long or wider;
hairy, unlobed,
but with bases that are notched.
Leaf margins
are shallowly
toothed. Leaf tips are obtuse to rounded or short-pointed
Petioles are
hairy.

Notes: Viola
sororia is a "species complex", including a variety of
phenotypes, which collectively exhibit considerable
"plasticity". Hybridization in the North American violets
is common, especially within this complex. In this regard, V.
sororia is especially notorious.

V.
sororia has been a poorly described and understood taxon from the
beginning. The following is summarized from GIL-AD (1997):

Willdenow (1806) did not designate an actual type specimen for
V. sororia. There appears to be ambiguity regarding the particular
specimen (among several specimens) used in botanical drawings, drawn by
Schlechtendal, to illustrate a type. The specimens were not whole
specimens, and were missing parts. Also, Willdenow apparently
accidentally described the lateral petals as "glabrous" and the
spurred petal as "pubescent". GIL-AD (1997) attempted to lectotypify V.sororia
as a species, based on one of the original specimens.

As
noted by GIL-AD, there had been ambiguity pertaining to the typification
of V. septentrionalis as well. Green did not designate a
holotype in his protologue. There were also discrepancies
between his protologue and the data listed on some of the specimen
labels. Some of the discrepancies were later clarified by careful
historical research.

Considerable uncertainty regarding the relationship between V.
sororia and V. septentrionalis has persisted over the years. Gleason and
Cronquist (1991) designated the latter as a synonym of V. sororia, as
did Haines (2001, 2011). Similarly, the "Integrated Taxonomic
Information System" (www.itis.gov)
does not recognize V. septentrionalis. However, GIL-AD (1997) retained V.
septentrionalis as a species.

Viola×bissellii is a fertile hybrid between V. sororia and
V. cucullata. It is prolific and widespread in
distribution. Specimens exhibit a wide range of intermediate
character states, including degree and location of pubescence, length and
shape of petal hairs, number of cilia on the sepals, and height of
peduncles, which often overtop leaves, unlike V. sororia (strictly
speaking).

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